Insights are often unveiled in casual conversations we have with clients, colleagues or friends – a point in time where both parties realise this is important stuff, and most people are struggling with it. These insights don’t wait for formal engagements – they happen over coffees and on couches. Our ‘couch coffees’ is a continuing series of posts where we’ll publish some of these insights – simple, short and sharp. They might be second nature to some; for others, they might be closer to epiphanies. For most, we hope they’re simply nudges in the right direction.
“To embark on the journey towards your goals and dreams requires bravery. To remain on the path, requires courage. The bridge that merges the two is commitment”
Steve Maraboli
Over the past year, we’ve been engaged with an OKR rollout journey with one of South Africa’s largest corporate organisations. As the twelve months draws to a close, we begin to reflect on the key factors that contributed to the success of the adoption of OKRs for the various teams. While there are four key success factors that stand-out, one that really stands out is that success lies in the ability of team members committing to creating a healthy habit of quarterly Reflect and Reset sessions.
As with many organisations, the end of a quarter comes a lot quicker than expected. As a result, the day-to-day tasks become more urgent, and OKRs fall by the wayside. While this is understandable, we have seen more traction and success in teams that have created a culture of commitment – when each team member is invested in their team goals, the greatest value is attained.
“Reflect and Reset sessions have helped the team refocus on their ambitious visions and have enabled the right conversations to help balance the urgent vs. important items to invest in in the future”
Direct quote from client
A “Reflect and Reset” session is exactly that. It is a time where we sit with teams to reflect on the successes of the past quarter and reset OKRs for the quarter ahead. It is a time to consider what has gone well and what the team would choose to change. It is through these sessions that teams really come to recognise the shifts in behaviours and accomplishments made to date.
“We are seeing shifts in behaviour, and we are seeing sprints that are purpose-led. We are recognising collective efforts which are creating shifts in our achievements”
Direct quote from client
A key reflection that has come up with the teams is that rolling out OKRs is a journey. While we can’t always hit the nail on the head when articulating our OKRs, we can begin with creating healthy habits of commitment, as when there is commitment from the team, the journey towards achieving our goals will made possible.
Our advice from this is to make sure that you and your team invest and commit to the necessary time required to reflect on the past quarter and reset your OKRs for the quarter ahead so that the potential benefits of the OKR journey can be achieved.
If you have questions, we’re always keen for coffee.
Get in touch so that we can brainstorm a few solutions together!
